Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (メタルギアソリッド4) (commonly abbreviated to MGS4) is a stealth action video game. Directed by Hideo Kojima, Shuyo Murata and Yoji Shinkawa, Guns of the Patriots was developed by Kojima Productions exclusively for the PlayStation 3 video game console. It is the seventh title in the Metal Gear series and the first in its fourth generation. The game, designed around the motto, “No Place to Hide!”, is the last Metal Gear game developed by Hideo Kojima, and the last game in the series starring the protagonist Solid Snake.The game was released worldwide on June 12, 2008, 10 years after the release of Metal Gear Solid and 20 years after the US release of the first Metal Gear.

Gameplay

In Metal Gear Solid 4, the player (Old Snake) must navigate the game world in order to progress, using stealth and cunning in addition to traditional combat. It uses the series’ traditional third person view with full camera manipulation, but also allows the freedom to play in first-person mode, as well as an over the shoulder view which can be switched from right shoulder to left for corner maneuvering. The Close Quarters Combat system has been completely revamped. The player is also able to interrogate guards for information and supplies.

Several elements from previous titles return in modified forms. Players can also use a new form of camouflage called “Octocamo”, which replaces the camouflage system featured in Metal Gear Solid 3. Dark blue when disabled, the OctoCamo suit allows the wearer to blend in with any surface within a few seconds. The Sixaxis controller’s motion-sensing capability is utilized to reset the OctoCamo to its default color. A new monocular device called “Solid Eye” replaces the various binoculars and image intensifiers from previous titles, and a steel drum complements the series’ traditional cardboard box disguise. It is able to deflect bullets, and can be rolled to knock enemy soldiers over, but can lead to Snake being sick should the player roll around too much.

The game is filled with cut scene “flashbacks” that explain what happened in previous Metal Gear Solid games and how that relates to the events of MGS4. Players are able to choose whether to view these scenes by pressing the X button on their controller when prompted. Players also have the choice of watching the Mission Briefing cut scenes from predetermined camera angles or exploring them with the Metal Gear Mk. II.

Snake is also partnered with a robotic drone, the Metal Gear Mk. II, which allows him to communicate with other characters, in addition to the CODEC radio system from previous games. It is also capable of engaging enemies using an electric shock, as well as providing reconnaissance.This drone is reminiscent of Gillian Seed’s robotic sidekick of the same name from another Hideo Kojima game Snatcher.

Due to the lack of a rumble feature (an important part in previous titles) from the PlayStation 3 during much of the development, the game had been designed with a new feature: a white “Threat Ring,” that visibly vibrates when sound is made nearby.As a series known for extensive use of rumble, when Sony announced the reintroduction of a new DualShock 3, MGS4 was announced as one of the first major games to make use of the force feedback capabilities.

Snake’s health plays a small factor during gameplay. If injured on the battlefield, cuts and burns will remain on his skin. However, the developers wished to avoid putting the stress of maintaining Snake’s health onto the players, so he wears a muscle suit, allowing players to move in a similar fashion to previous games.

Snake has two meters that replace the stamina bar from Snake Eater. The first meter, “Stress”, is based on current fighting and climate conditions. This can cause Snake to go into a “combat high”,that increases his accuracy and reduces damage sustained. However this effect will eventually wear off and could cause Snake to momentarily collapse. Smoking a cigarette calms Snake down.The second meter, “Psyche”, slowly drops over time reducing Snake’s accuracy. Scanning the pages of a Adult magazine will increase the meter,along with ReGain Energy Drinks, noodles, and military rations.

There is also a “Baseline Map” which is a radar map with a dynamic circle based on Snake’s “presence” to the environment.Accessible through the main menu, the Virtual Range is a test facility that allows the player to access the game’s library of weapons as well as practice Snake’s CQC moves.

Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision for the PlayStation 3, Windows, and the Xbox 360. It is scheduled for release for Mac OS X in the third quarter of 2008.It is the fourth installment of the Call of Duty video game series, excluding expansion packs. The game breaks away from the World War II setting of previous games in the series and is instead set in modern times. The game is the first in the series to be rated Mature in North America. The title and game details were announced on April 25, 2007,and the game was released worldwide between November 6, 2007 and November 9, 2007. It became available on Steam on November 6, 2007 for pre-purchase, and was available to play on November 12, 2007.

The story is centered around a fictional near-future conflict involving the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia, who are fighting against Russian ultranationalists in civil war torn Russia, and rebels that have staged a coup d’état in a small Middle Eastern country. It is told from the perspectives of a United States Marine and a member of the British SAS, and is set in multiple locations, including the Middle East, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Prypiat, Ukraine. The multiplayer portion of the game features various game modes, and contains a leveling system that allows the player to unlock additional weapons, weapon attachments, and camouflage schemes as they advance. The game was in development for two years. It uses a proprietary game engine, and includes features that include true world-dynamic lightning, HDR lighting effects, dynamics shadows, and depth of field.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare received considerable praise and has won numerous awards from gaming websites, including IGN’s “Best Xbox 360 Game”.It was the top-selling game worldwide for 2007, reaching over seven million copies as of January 2008.

Gameplay

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a first-person shooter similar to previous games in the Call of Duty series, but set in the present-day instead of World War II.

The game’s move to modern warfare introduces new weapons and technology to the Call of Duty franchise, including the M203 grenade launcher, M4A1 carbine, the AN/PEQ-2 Target Pointer for use in conjunction with night vision goggles, the MP5SD submachine gun, and the FGM-148 Javelin portable anti-tank guided missile.The player gains access to these over the course of the game, but may only carry up to two weapons in addition to grenades. Weapons from fallen foes can be picked up to replace weapons in a player’s arsenal. Players also have additional abilities, including a grenade launcher attachment, night-vision goggles, and the ability to call in airstrikes.

The gameplay of Call of Duty 4 shares several features with previous iterations of the franchise. Once again, players fight alongside AI-controlled teammates. They help during the game’s missions by providing cover fire, shooting down enemies, and clearing rooms for entry.

A character can be positioned in one of three stances: standing, kneeling, or prone; each affecting the character’s rate of movement, accuracy, and stealth. Using cover helps the player avoid enemy fire or recover health after taking significant damage, as there is no armor or health powerups. When the character has taken damage, the edges of the screen glow red and the character’s heartbeat increases. If the character stays out of fire, the character can recover. When the character is within the blast radius of a live grenade, a marker indicates the direction of the grenade, helping the player to either flee or toss it back to the enemy.

Battlefield: Bad Company

Battlefield: Bad Company (also known as BF:BC, or just Bad Company) is a first-person shooter developed at EA DICE, released in the U.S. on June 23 2008 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game was hinted at just before the release of Battlefield 2,and then announced sixteen months later.

Bad Company puts the player in a fictional war against the Russian Federation, where players will lead a squad of AWOL soldiers fighting both Russians and mercenaries.

Bad Company applies some new features to the franchise, including an environment that can be almost entirely destroyed, and a single-player storyline. The single player campaign and some multiplayer maps take place in the fictional Eastern European country of Serdaristan.

Story

The storyline of Battlefield: Bad Company revolves around a particular 4-man squad of military misfits during a fictional war in the near-future that pits America against the Russian Federation. This squad is one of the many groups of its kind found in the 222nd Army battalion, more commonly known as “Bad Company”. This company is comprised of the insubordinate and often incompetent troublemakers whose use in the battlefield are limited to the role of cannon fodder.